Embracing the Future
by serafina19
Summary: They always had their own way of doing things. The question was were they ready to handle what was ahead?


**Timeline**: AU after _Finale._

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**Embracing the Future**

There was something calming about sitting on the beach alone. So much that Chloe had lost track of the time passed, while almost forgetting why she was sitting here in the first place.

This morning, she had packed a bag and drove out to Crater Lake, knowing it was a decent drive from the clocktower, but it was one of the few places in the world she would likely get privacy. It was also a fitting location for the topic that had been consuming her mind for the past few days. Of course, since her last disappearing act, Chloe ensured to cover her bases through a text to Clark, as he was the only one who understood her need to get away right now.

For so long, Chloe was used to having the same list of problems, so if nothing else this was different. Part of her wondered why she was freaking out inside, but the truth was that everything was happening so fast. For years, she had probably hoped for something like this, but the world decided to give it to her in a span of months instead of the usual years.

She wasn't complaining, because she loved Oliver with everything she had, which led her to stare down to the antique ring on her finger. It was a minor oversight in his mind, something he had every intention of fixing temporarily with a family heirloom.

_"One day, when or if the world gives us a break, I will find something for you. But until then, I'm just... so happy that you're my wife."_

Wiping the tears away, Chloe tried to shake her sudden hormone change away. Didn't he know that she was the lucky one? She wasn't sure what she did to deserve someone who ran after her when she was so determined that it was going end in tears, yet here they were... _married_.

His confidence never shook in them, which is something Chloe wished they could share. But at least she was making progress, as she wasn't completely running away this time. Instead, she was using today to find her words. Oliver was out of town anyway, so it wasn't like he would miss her presence at the clocktower.

But someone, likely Lois, apparently missed her, as Chloe had heard her phone buzz on the drive here and it probably would be still ringing if she didn't turn it off. She didn't want anyone's feedback or opinion on this matter, she just... needed time. Another reason she texted Clark, as he had been respected her need for privacy so far.

If nothing else, the trip was worth it for the view in front of her. It was really beautiful here, the waves lapping up on the shore, the soft sand between her toes. It helped that no one was here right now, as the weather wasn't ideal beach weather, with the sun behind the clouds and the slightly rough breeze in the air. However, that wasn't enough to deter Chloe, as she remained where she was, content in the view for at least the past couple of hours. Since arriving, Chloe didn't see much point in checking her watch because she wasn't in a hurry to go anyway.

But it appeared her peace wouldn't last forever, as she could hear a car pull up behind her. That alone narrowed down the pool of suspects, but the sound of the engine gave it away. She loved her cousin, but her clunker's engine didn't sound as nice as that and Victor was running an op in China. So when the car door opened, Chloe stared down at her ring once more before swallowing hard.

_Here goes nothing._

"You activated the tracker on my car didn't you?" she called out when she heard the footsteps in the background became louder, and they didn't stop until Oliver was standing next to her.

"Only for emergencies," he replied before sitting down, "Just like we agreed."

Chloe felt his arm wrap around her shoulder, so she leaned in, knowing to always take advantage of the simple moments, because sometimes they meant just as much as the big ones. "You're... back early."

Only by a few hours, as he had wrapped things up earlier than planned. His return was supposed to be a surprise, but instead, Oliver was the one surprised as he came home to an empty clocktower. And a pile of voicemails from his cousin-in-law. "I got a pretty panicked call from Lois."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe pushed herself up to a standing position. "I'm pretty sure Clark could find me in minutes," she said absentmindedly.

Oliver scoffed lightly, staring down at the sand. "He... said I had to be the one to find you." Although he wasn't sure as to why that was the case. Clark wouldn't even give him a lift, which wasn't like him at all.

Sighing, Chloe walked forward, stopping at the edge of the water. Shuffling off her flip flops, Chloe dipped her toes in the water, the temperature colder than she expected, but she persisted. "I just needed to clear my head."

"If you're going to do that," Oliver said as he got up and began to approach his wife, "then you should tell Lois."

"I couldn't." Bringing her head up, Chloe turned it over her shoulder and met his eyes for the first time. "Because then I would have to tell her why."

"Chloe, what's going on?"

Stepping backwards, Chloe soon felt her back collide with his chest. Oliver attempted to wrap his arms around her, but she walked away from him before he could complete the embrace. She could tell that she was worrying him slightly, so she grabbed his hand out of reassurance and squeezed it lightly.

"This was where we went for our last family vacation," she admitted. "We didn't have much, so we just took a day at the beach, had some fun." However, it was much more than that. It was one of the last days that they felt like a real family, as between her mom... leaving and her dad working, it didn't leave much time for traditional family things.

Sure, she would always have the Kents as a surrogate family of sorts, but it wasn't the same. "As you can probably guess, everything changed after that."

Oliver looked at her with concern, seeing her choke up over what he assumed were old memories. "So why come here now?"

Placing her hands on her stomach, Chloe took a sharp breath in. "I've been thinking about... family lately and I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother. It doesn't help that loneliness runs in my family, but I don't want that for our child, Oliver, I... can't put them through that."

Stepping in front of her, Oliver said, "Chloe, look at me." When she didn't, Oliver placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. "There is no rush to parenthood. We just got married, so that... will come in time."

As soon as he said that, her eyes began to water, and a quick glance showed that she was still holding onto her stomach. His eyes flickering back up to hers, he said slowly, "Unless..."

Chloe nodded, as she didn't have the strength to admit it out loud as his eyes began to widen. "I was... building up the courage to tell you when you got back tonight." Knowing that the question of how long she had known was inevitable, Chloe filled in that blank too. "I've been suspicious for a few weeks, but Emil's colleague confirmed it yesterday morning."

"Holy sh –" Oliver quickly stopped himself, as it wasn't the reaction he wanted to give her, but this was... a surprise to say the least.

Watching as her husband raked his fingers through his hair before taking a step back to let the news sink in, Chloe could only shake her head slightly. "I know this wasn't what you wanted, and this whole thing has turned into a whirlwind, but -"

"We'll figure it out together," Oliver interjected, snapping out of his state of shock while taking note of the quick surprise in her eyes. "Did you expect another answer?"

"I... honestly didn't know what to expect."

"Chloe, is everything okay... with you?"

As she stared down at their intertwined hands, Chloe recognized the fading bruise marks and scars on their arms. "I'm just scared. With the life we've chosen, that... I don't want our child to be alone."

"I won't let that happen."

That was supposed to be comforting, but it wasn't, because Chloe's concern extended further than just safety. "How can you guarantee that? Since Darkseid, you've been handling meetings, while I've been running ops all week." They had been five different places this week, and while they could handle the phone calls, the distance and stress, a kid only made things more difficult. That, and the constant dealings of Oliver revealing his identity to the world only added to the stresses that they had to deal with. "I mean, are we ready for this, Ollie?"

He swallowed hard, as he soon saw her point, so he answered honestly. "I don't know." The answer didn't stop him from grinning though. "All this time, I didn't think I'd actually have a family, so to know that it's with you...I'm willing to do what it takes to ensure that our kid has the best childhood possible."

Reaching out, Oliver cradled her cheek in his hand. "In the end, _family_ matters the most to me. So no matter what you decide, I'll be there every step of the way. But I don't think we've ever been _ready _for what life has thrown at us, we've just... made life work." Leaning down so his forehead rested on hers, he added, "And I don't know about you, but I've never been happier in my entire life."

After a light laugh, Chloe lifted her hand to rest gently on his chest. "You always know what to say, don't you?" Moving a step forward, Chloe wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

"I know what I'm fighting for," Oliver replied, returning the embrace by rubbing her back softly.

"Well, it's comforting to know what your answer is."

"Chloe," Oliver said, backing away. "Right now, you're my family, so we do what makes you the most comfortable." Streaming a finger down her cheek, he smiled as she leaned towards his touch. "I just don't want you to run off on me. We're a team, remember?"

Grinning back at him, Chloe nodded. "We are."

Taking a sigh of relief, it was Oliver's turn to rest his hands on her belly. "I just wish that I was there when you found out, even before. That way I could stop your imagination from running wild." Oliver might have freaked out a little more, but he could see that Chloe had enough time to do that for the both of them.

"The world was ending then," Chloe said dryly. "You had to be focused."

"_Clark_ knew," Oliver pointed out, as this news allowed him to put the pieces together. Not that he wasn't grateful that his friend let him handle this matter, but he didn't like the fact that Clark found out prior to him.

"It's not my fault that he can hear the heartbeat." Placing her hands over his, Chloe felt her heart warm as the reality of everything was starting to set in. "And he actually managed to keep it a secret from Lois so I could tell you first."

"Well, it wasn't like I was myself during that time anyway."

Glancing up, Chloe saw his expression fall, followed by his hands, but she grabbed one before it fell to his side. Encasing it in both of her hands, Chloe placed them over his heart.

"Sure you were, because right here... you're a hero." When the only reaction she got from him was a slight purse of his lips, Chloe walked a step forward. "Under the right circumstances, maybe you weren't yourself, but 99% of the time, you were the man I married. And besides, we don't have to worry about that anymore because you are just fine and I love you."

"As long as you know that..." Chloe's voice trailed as she brought Oliver's hands back to her stomach. "Then we'll be fine."

Allowing a smile to break through, Oliver clarified, "So... _we'll_ be fine?"

Chloe knew the real question he was asking, and while her nerves were still there to an extent, knowing that Oliver was going to be there erased a good chunk of them. So as she stared lovingly in his eyes, she replied honestly, "Yeah."

**~End~**

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_Sera's Scribbles: I've been wanting to write this storyline for awhile, so I'm hoping you enjoyed it. I admit, I didn't watch early seasons, so I wasn't aware of Crater Lake's special qualities that would have been in effect when Chloe was younger... so I'm hoping you guys can overlook that._

_In other news, today is my 3__rd__ ficaversary! (the term was coined by __fickery on LJ_, _I'm just borrowing it) *throws confetti* A little hard to believe it's been 3 years, but it's been fun so far and I still have plenty of words to share._


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